Publications – Improvijazzation Nationhttp://rotcodzzaj.com
Music and Opinion for the 21st CenturyWed, 16 Aug 2017 19:40:34 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.8.1ZzajRant – Days of conflict!http://rotcodzzaj.com/zzajrant-days-of-conflict/
Fri, 02 Dec 2016 06:47:00 +0000http://rotcodzzaj.com/?p=10458It seems obvious to me that artists of all stripes (players, poets, even visual artists) need to take the recent conflict-driven events (I’m talking about the election, of course, but it could be any other stress providers) and “make the most of them”. A recent blog post I read regarding Read More

]]>It seems obvious to me that artists of all stripes (players, poets, even visual artists) need to take the recent conflict-driven events (I’m talking about the election, of course, but it could be any other stress providers) and “make the most of them”. A recent blog post I read regarding the broad subject of “creativity” stated that “Creativity is nourished by conflict.” In other words, my fellow players, the coming four years (and probably many more than that) will NEED your most creative efforts to keep us all on track and moving forward!

I’ve no doubt you’ve seen similar writings, too… even from antiquity… the times that are the most difficult, in a societal sense, are the times that should render fresh and new insights into how to “move on”… not just whining and bellyaching, but reaching down into your “inner player” (or your “inner poet) and catching the vibrations that will wrap your mind (and your instrument) around the problems we have in society. Additionally, that doesn’t mean creating words/music that intentionally inflame; in other words, not a whole opus of “bad language”… of course, I do understand that a few raw words, inserted in the right place & at the right time, can be a part of the “solution”; but USE your creative ability to suggest better things… better results… & ultimately “solutions”, instead of just bitching about the problem!

The power of healing music is inestimable, and I review a lot of albums that fall in that category; all well and good, but I believe it’s necessary for artists to dig a little deeper, focus on what they believe the problems are and create “hooks” that will stick in people’s head (no matter what part of the globe they reside in), and urge them to move past the idiocies we see in cultures across the world! NOW is the time to get that message out… if you “wait on inspiration”, you may never write the poem… create the song… or even pen that blog post! The coming years are not going to get better unless the folks with the real POWER – those who understand that well-crafted artistry can help us normal folks step up to the plate and DO IT! NOW!!!

This is a short post in what I expect will become a (somewhat) “regular” series of them – & if you took the time to read these 300 or so words – PASS it ON!!!!

]]>B-I-G kudos to Jerry’s Automotive & Towing (Olympia, WA)http://rotcodzzaj.com/b-i-g-kudos-to-jerrys-automotive-towing-olympia-wa/
Sat, 30 Jul 2016 00:46:24 +0000http://rotcodzzaj.com/?p=9938One of the first things that most attracted me to Jerry’s Automotive & Towing (Olympia, WA) was their advertisement of “full service”, and their absolute willingness to make the term actually MEAN something! It’s not just that they pump your gas for you, wash your windshields & check your oil (if Read More

One of the first things that most attracted me to Jerry’s Automotive & Towing (Olympia, WA) was their advertisement of “full service”, and their absolute willingness to make the term actually MEAN something! It’s not just that they pump your gas for you, wash your windshields & check your oil (if you ask them to), they are, in a certain sense, a “throwback” to an era I was part of… I used to work at the pumps, changed a few tires and was there to watch as the “machines” came in & sorta’ “took over the business”. Well, with these folks, you get both the high-tech capability and professional manner, but also a sense that you “belong” there!

I’ve been using their excellent services for a good year or two now, and there are several reasons:

Towing service – they offer full-service & highly qualified towing that is unparalleled in this town!

Full pump service – as mentioned above, when you pull up to a pump, you can expect quick and professional service to get you right back on the road again!

Highly-qualified mechanics – I trust both the top & bottom end work on my 1966 GTO to their lead mechanic, and that’s something that doesn’t often happen

If you’re looking for a place you can trust to get the job done, & done well, you need look no further. The best example of their mechanical ability and professional manner is setting the timing on that GTO… I’d already been to a couple of other places, and thought I had it pretty well set, but when the condenser blew in my distributor, I asked Rob (the mechanic) if he could take a look at the timing, since he was going to have to replace the points anyway. Within one short afternoon, he called me back & said the timing was set, & the car was ready to pick up… I can’t tell you just how overjoyed I was when I got behind the wheel & torqued that goat a bit to test out the timing…. the guy NAILED it! Prices are (extremely) reasonable, and they will work closely with you to make sure you get just what you want (& need)… I’m giving them my MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, and suggest that you may want to check them out the next time you’re in need of a tow, a repair, or just a good old friendly fill-up! Again, KUDOS to y’all at Jerry’s Automotive & Towing. (be sure & tell them you read about them here, too, ‘k?).

]]>Tribute to Chris Hurtlehttp://rotcodzzaj.com/tribute-to-chris-hurtle/
http://rotcodzzaj.com/tribute-to-chris-hurtle/#commentsFri, 15 Aug 2014 01:02:39 +0000http://rotcodzzaj.com/?p=5425December 25, 1958 – August 14, 2014 Details for viewing, from Bonita Hurtle: 2-5pm on Thursday Aug 21, 2014 at Crowford and Bowers funeral home in Copperas Cove,Tx… He will have full Military Honors Services at the Killeen Veterans Cemetery on Friday 22 August 2014 at 10am and then gathering Read More

2-5pm on Thursday Aug 21, 2014 at Crowford and Bowers funeral home in Copperas Cove,Tx… He will have full Military Honors Services at the Killeen Veterans Cemetery on Friday 22 August 2014 at 10am and then gathering at our home in Kempner, Tx afterwards.

This man was a lot of things to a LOT of people! Chris was a “rare breed”… someone who actually knew what he was talking about, and wasn’t afraid to say so! That’s why I enjoyed working with him so much…

I first met him “on the phone”, so to speak! This was during my first rotation to the National Training Center in mid-2003 (NTC, for those who don’t know what that is)… he had been chartered by (then-Deputy for 404th AFSB) Ray Coffman to “go down there & straighten this out”. I made the mistake of calling him “Sir” while on the phone with him… in no uncertain terms & a few $*?*&’s, he let me know that he was “Chris”, and he “worked for a living”… those of you who knew him can probably see him on that rant as you read this! Of course, that was (& still is) exactly the way I like to operate – so we hit it off immediately – even though I had never seen him face-to-face yet!

The other thing I remember most poignantly about Chris Hurtle is that he was a leader, something you don’t always encounter in Federal Service these days. He clearly understood from his early days as an Artilleryman that you can’t “tell someone to do it” unless “you know how to do it yourself” (or are willing to learn). Of course, leadership often means that you have strong opinions about things… I can tell you from personal experience that if he had FOX News (not my favorite channel) on – “don’t touch that dial”… or you would (very quickly) hear an EXPLOSION – right in the vicinity of your ears; in fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if this was taken right after Warren decided to “switch the station” (thanks, Jeannie) – this pic was taken in the “SPO Shop”, where I worked for Chris just before he went back home to Texas (Fort Hood):

I worked for (and with) many Logistics Management Specialists during my “second career” as a Department of the Army Civilian, or DAC… I can honestly say that none of them measured up to the technical and moral standards that Chris did… but, on the other hand, he made sure that he took care of his troops – and you (truly) won’t find a lot of DAC’s these days who understand that once they’re elevated to GS-12, 13 & on up the chain – that IS their JOB!

One of our proudest accomplishments together was the corraling, identification and shipment of several thousand pieces of “Left Behind Equipment” (LBE) from Hawaii to Fort Lewis and then back to Hawaii… it wasn’t a cakewalk.. long hours, lots of work from the Department of Logistics folks & a few arguments along the way – but we pulled it off – & without his strong leadership talents, that wouldn’t have happened. We also worked together in Iraq (he followed me there about 3 months into my 7 month tour)… so, we did a lot of things together – all over the world! You can see him receiving his award for that tour below:

Chris was also a very strong “family guy”… some might say that he kinda’ “looked the part”, too (of the TV character, I mean… ha! ha!). One of his pet projects at home (for both him and his wife Bonita & their daughters) was the restoration of an ancient 3/4 ton truck out of the Army inventory – I can’t tell you how many hours Chris devoted to that machine – but it was a lot!!!

He worked ’round the house, & when he moved back down to where he wanted to be (Texas), he even did some farming, as shown below:

Chris will stay in my memory, to be sure… now, I’ve left the COMMENTS block open on this page… so, please DO add your comments in (I’ll approve them before they go live). Chris Hurtle clearly deserves to be remembered as the fine and caring professional he was! Fire away!

]]>http://rotcodzzaj.com/tribute-to-chris-hurtle/feed/20Ancient Archivehttp://rotcodzzaj.com/ancient-archive/
Thu, 14 Aug 2014 04:36:44 +0000http://rotcodzzaj.com/?p=5410What you see BELOW is the index for OLD issues – if you want to look at our most current issues, use the DROPDOWN at the TOP of this page!!! This magazine has been reviewing fine jazz, blues and improvised music from around the world since 1990 (& even a little Read More

]]>What you see BELOW is the index for OLD issues – if you want to look at our most current issues, use the DROPDOWN at the TOP of this page!!!

This magazine has been reviewing fine jazz, blues and improvised music from around the world since 1990 (& even a little before 1990).

During an average month, I receive about 30-40 CD’s (or digital downloads for review); each CD is guaranteed a review, unless it lacks what I call a high “EQ”, or “energy quotient”. As long as the musicians are PLAYING (& not just “playing at it”), a CD will always get a review here, no matter what the genre.

We will only be keeping the LAST 10 issues active on the site… anything previous to that will be placed in our HTML ARCHIVE… you still can click on the ISSUE page, and that will have a link to the ARCHIVE version. All the content is saved in the ARCHIVE copy, which allows us to save server space. Please spread the word to others, or write to me with any suggestions you may have at rotcod@rotcodzzaj.com

]]>Get your own copy of the Rotcod Zzaj autobiography!!!http://rotcodzzaj.com/get-your-own-copy-of-the-rotcod-zzaj-autobiography/
Sun, 10 Aug 2014 00:31:12 +0000http://rotcodzzaj.com/?p=5290NOTE: If you just want to “get to it”, you can PURCHASE this tome by clicking on “purchase” – only $12.00. (NOTE: after you click CHECKOUT, you can enter the DISCOUNT code) SO – you’ve been wondering about who this “Rotcod Zzaj” character is; what makes him tick… & why Read More

NOTE: If you just want to “get to it”, you can PURCHASE this tome by clicking on “purchase” – only $12.00.

(NOTE: after you click CHECKOUT, you can enter the DISCOUNT code)

SO – you’ve been wondering about who this “Rotcod Zzaj” character is; what makes him tick… & why he’s STILL (after nearly 70 years) prowlin’ about on the net…you’ll also see a lot of pictures that would fit in (very well) with a “throwback Thursday” theme… quite a bit of stuff from my 1960’s period….

In his own words, all the way from Pennsylvania, to Yemen, to Thailand & all corners of this fantastic globe… you’ll get the “straight skinny” from the man himself in these pages! Here are just a few quotes to give you an idea of what you’re in for as you read my story (the previews only go up through about 1968 – to get more, you’ll have to PURCHASE it…:

(the earliest years) “I can’t tell you exactly where all my inclination to play came from, but I can say that I’ve always felt a need to play. I grew up in a family that (though sometimes slightly dysfunctional) had one common language they could always rely on – MUSIC! ”

(mid-1960’s, boarding school) “When I moved down to Kentucky (around 1960, I believe), I participated in a chorale run by (of all people in that region) “Doctor Pepper”… I’m not kidding, his name was Herbert Pepper, with (some kind of) a doctorate for teaching. In retrospect, considering the rather strict environment there (it was a “Holy Roller” church school that my dad had sent me to in order that he be able to conduct illicit affairs in a Cadillac hearse – another story in/of itself), I learned a lot from ol’ Herbert. He picked me for some solo works, as well as a “Youth For Christ” quartet… I must admit, we were pretty durned cute with our red vests, black bowties, black slacks & penny loafers. That musical adventure did teach me a little more about reading music, because Dr. Pepper was really hardcore about being able to read… and having groupies in the pews was a great experience for a 14-year-old.. ha! ha!”

(from Germany, in 1964): “The exchange rates (Deutsch Marks to Dollars) were far higher than they are these days, so even on meager finances (I made about $98 a month during that first year there), I could still cruise the jazz cellars, rock joints & other venues (you know, the strip clubs on Kaiserstrasse) in search of new experiences.”

“Times (in the Military) were definitely different back in the mid-‘60’s – it was pretty much understood (with any of the “good” supervisors, anyway) that as long as a young guy wasn’t breaking the law (to any serious degree, anyway), he should be allowed to “form” his personality… of course, that led to lots of opportunities “to” violate the rules… the hope was that those same young men would learn from their mistakes & not repeat them. “Honor” was a concept that was still around… if you gave your word (no matter how painful it might be to do so), you kept it! ”

(my Alabama period, 1968 or so)

I explored the joys of motorcycles, a 1966 GTO & other “guy” kind of things (like ladies – I got married in late 1968… another story too long to tell in this narrative). Southern bourbon, catfish & hushpuppies, as well as hours-on-end of listening to the emerging artists of the day, like Sly & The Family Stone, The Who, King Crimson, The Supremes, Allman Brothers, a smattering of jazz artists & a WHOLE LOT of southern blues, was a large part of the experience there… the military was just moving into “race relations” (in great part due to situations across the Army that came close to rioting)… my awareness of those issues was already pretty keen (from real-life experiences I had in Harlem when I was preparing to move to Germany, as well as the local scene there in Huntspatch in the late ‘60’s…. they still had the separate water fountains & lots of other hill-William devices to keep “the coloreds” down), but listening to the music with the black soldiers there lent a whole lot of weight to just how intent “the man” was on keeping them (and their families) in their place. (It wasn’t until a few years later that I came to believe that “the man” is really intent on keeping us all in our place… folks with $$$, meaning “stature”, don’t want to be replaced by anyone who is “uppity” (no matter what color they are)… while that’s a political view, I believe it ultimately had a LOT TO DO with how the music of the mid-60’s to the early ‘70’s was created and evolved into such a powerful force… ”

]]>New services – MVA – Zzaj-Traxhttp://rotcodzzaj.com/new-services-mva-zzaj-trax/
Wed, 16 Jul 2014 00:09:26 +0000http://rotcodzzaj.com/wordpress/?p=5018If you’re a musician, then you know you seldom have all the time you need; so what we do is act as your Musical Virtual Assistant! That’s right – we can be thousands of miles apart and I can still help you…. in fact, with tablets, I-Phones & all the Read More

If you’re a musician, then you know you seldom have all the time you need; so what we do is act as your Musical Virtual Assistant! That’s right – we can be thousands of miles apart and I can still help you…. in fact, with tablets, I-Phones & all the digits we have at our disposal today – you’ll wonder how you ever did without MVA services for all these years!

That’s why I started up a NEW SERVICE to help musicians do what they do best – create, compose and PLAY! The service is called Zzaj-Trax, and I hope you’ll visit us there TODAY… after you scan the first page, be sure to visit the “PACKAGE/Rate” page to see which package you want to sign up for! & even if you’re not ready to sign up right now – spread the word/link to other players you know who may need our services!

]]>Please JOIN us at Zzaj Productionshttp://rotcodzzaj.com/please-join-us-at-zzaj-productions/
http://rotcodzzaj.com/please-join-us-at-zzaj-productions/#commentsMon, 21 May 2012 09:41:29 +0000http://rotcodzzaj.com/wordpress/?p=3211If you go to http://rotcodzzaj.com/wordpress, you can sign up (free) by simply adding a USERNAME and your email address. What I’m hoping is to generate lots & LOTS of traffic from players, listeners (in the form of comments & discussions, etc.) & anyone else who has an interest in creative Read More

What I’m hoping is to generate lots & LOTS of traffic from players, listeners (in the form of comments & discussions, etc.) & anyone else who has an interest in creative and high-energy music.

I only just discovered (a couple of days ago) that the SMTP server being used for email delivery wasn’t working, so even if you had tried to sign up with us, you wouldn’t have received the confirmation email from the system… that’s fixed now (my apologies, of course), so we’re READY TO ROCK!

Those who’ve been with for many years now know that this site and my magazine (IMPROVIJAZZATION NATION) isn’t “about me”… it’s about YOU, & the music you play and listen to…. so please consider joining in now & sharing your ideas (when you join, you can create your OWN posts, with gig announcements, opinions & anything else you want to express, as long as it relates (in some way) to music, poetry or performance). You can also participate by posting comments against other articles/pages/posts.

I’m looking forward to this becoming a gathering point for any & all who love music (of any stripe).